Northern Ireland and ‘The Troubles’, outlining an innovative approach to nursing/midwifery student teaching and module evaluation

• An innovative approach to teaching and evaluating nursing/midwifery education to civil conflict
• Bridging nursing and midwifery education across sectarian divides
• Addressing core issues in conflict and the experience of victims of conflict
• Partnership in teaching and learning with victims of conflict as citizen trainers

This discussion paper outlines an approach to developing and evaluating an educative programme primarily delivered by lay `citizen trainers’ in educating student nurses, and student midwives to the impact of and experience of extended and extensive civil unrest within their communities (`the Troubles’ ). This is drawn from experience within the Northern Ireland `Troubles’ and all of the citizen trainers were directly affected physically/psychologically. The programme was intended to both educate but primarily to help facilitate student nurses and student midwives to better understanding to experience and context and to more effective care delivery to those affected by/damaged by `the Troubles’. Evaluation of the teaching and learning by the students was significantly positive.